You're A Good Man, Larry Brown

By ISABELLE CURTIS

So, when are you going to retire? 

That’s a question that seems to crop up with increasing frequency as the years pass, but for Boothbay Harbor police officer Larry Brown, 71, there’s a simple answer: “If you had your dream job, why would you ever retire?” 

Brown is a community staple. Whether it's squaring off against a YMCA Dolphin swimmer at the community pool (twice!), helping a high school senior research a piece of local history, or just patrolling the halls of Boothbay Region Elementary and High schools as the local School Resource Officer (SRO).  

The Boothbay school system wasn’t Brown's first time as an SRO. After graduating with a bachelor's in law enforcement from Byrant College in his native Rhode Island, Brown moved to Maine to join Lewiston Police Department (LPD). There, he spent almost seven and a half years working as a Juvenile Detective/SRO at Lewiston Junior High School, which served over 800 seventh and eighth graders. As a juvenile detective, Brown primarily investigated complaints of physical and sexual child abuse. 

Many areas use Child Advocacy Centers to create a child-friendly environment, to ease the interview process and allow law enforcement to listen in from another room while minimizing potential trauma from continually resharing the abuse. But Brown explained this wasn't  standard practice back when he was a detective. Instead, Brown was often one of the first to interview victims. His voice grew thick as he recalled how some of the children would come up to hug him on the playground afterwards. “I get a little teary just thinking about it.” 

Eventually, Brown decided it was time to retire. He always wanted to live by the coast, anyway. Plus, he had a new interest. Brown moved to the region in the late 90s with wife Marti Booth, refurbishing a large, late 19th century home in East Boothbay to start a Bed & Breakfast. “I love cooking and baking. I was a kid that would pull a chair up when mom was in the kitchen. I also just kind of loved people, even though I hadn't always seen them in the most positive of ways,” he explained. The pair ran the inn for 11 years. 

Read Full Story at Boothbay Register